[STARR, Louisa (1845–1909) – her copy]; REYNOLDS, Sir Joshua (1723–1792); BEECHEY, Henry William (1788/9–1862)

The Literary Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds

London: H.G. Bohn, 1855

2 vols, 8vo; pp. viii, 463, [1]; [4], 495, [1], engraved frontispiece to Vol. I. Very good condition: very light wear to the bindings; internally near fine

An attractive set of reynolds’ works, given as a prize to Louisa Starr, the first woman to win a prize at the Royal Academy. Two volumes finely bound by Riviere, in calf with gilt decoration, each stamped to the front cover :

ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS.

TO

MISSLOUISA STARR

FOR

THE BEST

HISTORICAL PAINTING.

1867.

Louisa Starr, who later took the married name Louisa Canziani, studied informally at the British Museum and then as one of the first students admitted to the Royal Academy. Her painting, ‘David with the Head of Goliath before Saul’ won her these volumes, as well as £50 (not present), making her the first woman ever to win this award, the most prestigious of its kind at the time. The painting had caused her difficulty, as she couldn’t find a model for Saul – in the end a helpful milkman stepped in.

Although two women were founder members of the Royal Academy, in 1768, the first woman student was admitted as late as 1860. This was Laura Herford, who signed her drawings with her initials in order to fool the admissions tutors into admitting her. Herford and Starr overlapped, and it was Starr who was the first to achieve a gold medal, a feat repeated in 1871 by Jessie MacGregor, but not again until the 20th century. The first woman admitted to the staff of the RA was Annie Swynnerton, who joined in 1922.

Reference: Dictionary of British Women Artists, pp. 250–1; see ‘Women and the Royal Academy of Arts’, link